The Sprudge Report - Sprudgie Noms
Plus news, events, and lots of weird Super Bowl ads
Nom nom nom nom nom
It’s award season here at Sprudge, which means that the Sprudgies are back! Now in their 16th year, the Sprudgie Awards to honor leadership and excellence across the specialty coffee industry, and we need your help. We’re accepting nominations for any and all categories. Who do you think deservers recognition? As always, nominations are completely free. Nominations close Tuesday, February 18th at 11:59 PM PST.
Coffee in Antalya
In the perennial vacationing question “Mountains or the beach?” Antalaya suggests, “why not both?” Situated between Taurus Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, the Turkish city is a tourist hot spot, and the coffee scene is booming. This week on Sprudge, we take a survey of some of the best coffee spots to visit when living the good life in Antalya.
Super Bowl commercials get weird with coffee
Super bowl ads this year were… odd. And many of the most disturbing ones were coffee-related. Jeremy Strong in a vat of sludgy coffee goo? Yep. Shania Twain as a disembodied tongue singing and dancing about Coffee Mate? Also a thing. Harrison Ford waxing ‘Merican with a Moka Pot? Why not. We’ve rounded up all the coffee commercials from this year’s Big Game for your viewing—I don’t want to say pleasure because that’s not what this is so let’s just leave it there. For your viewing.
Gateway to the Fest
Kansas City may get the love as the Missouri coffee hot spot, but St. Louis would like to have a word. And later this month, all the best roasters from St. Louis are coming together under one roof for STL Coffee Fest. It will be a day of workshops, coffee classes, and a whole lot of coffee from some of the city’s finest.
Three decades of Counter Culture
Founded in 1995, Counter Culture is older than most coffee professionals, an insane fact whose consequences I prefer to not sit with for too long. Still, 30 years is a phenomenal feat for any business, especially one in the specialty coffee world, which isn’t that much older. And to celebrate, Counter Culture has released a special edition blend, Field Trip. We speak with the brand’s Creative Director about the fun new packaging and how the design came together.
The coffee price keeps rising
It wasn’t but last week we reported that the price of coffee futures on the commodities market broke the $4.00 mark for the first time in history. But here we are, a few days later and the price has already shot up to $4.30 per pound. It went as high as $4.40 at one point. Panic buying continues to push the prices higher, while some Brazilian producers are holding on to unsold crop while they wait to see if the price continues its trajectory.
New espresso gadget alert
Everyone loves a good espresso gadget. Maybe this one last thingamabob is going to be final piece of the puzzle that allows me to unlock The God Shot. Probably not, but still, it’s fun to try. (And really isn’t The God Shot the espressos we tasted along the way?) Enter Graph, a new stepped espresso basket that allows your 58mm portafilter to go down to 46mm, with a promise of sweeter, more repeatable results. And it’s live on Kickstarter now.
Press releases
From our press release desk, we learned of Austin, Texas’s Nectarous Coffee, a new SMS-based subscription-less coffee service focusing on high end offerings. They describe it as “‘Coffee Sommelier’ curation meets effortless ordering.”
Breast milk latte for Buzby
A few weeks ago, we wrote a story about someone bringing their own oat milk to a cafe in an effort to save a few bucks. I’m personally not a fan of the move and wasn’t exactly surprised to find that many on social media agreed with me. What was surprising though, was how many folks had similar stories but with a startling twist: the milk the customer brought in was human breast milk. A LOT of you claim to have experienced this, and we are admittedly intrigued. That’s why we are asking you to submit your breast milk cafe stories. Not ones you heard or happened to a friend of yours, but ones you experienced firsthand.
Valentine’s Day on the Coffee Sprudgecast
Love is in the air. Or is it coffee? Or is there even a difference? Coffee Sprudgecast hosts Jordan Michelman and Zachary Carlsen get to the bottom of it on the all-new episode, featuring natural processed coffees and lots of Sprudgies talk.
Roaster’s Village
We’re highlighting outstanding coffees from some of our favorite roasting partners each week here in the newsletter. This week’s selection of tasty coffees are…
Dune Coffee Roasters —Honduras Urpania Guzman
Urpania’s coffee this year is sweet like orange and brown sugar, with a botanical quality that to us is so characteristic of the coffees grown on the Santa Bárbara mountain.
Phil & Sebastian—Bekele Yutute Natural
The Bekele Yutute Natural, newly arrived on our shelves, is bursting with fruity flavor. Coffees from the small region of Bensa are grown at a whopping altitude of 2300 meters and are winning nearly every competition in Ethiopia—it’s not hard to see why. This coffee is clean, intense, fruity, and embodies everything we love about Naturals.
Mr. Espresso—Java Gunung Tikukur, Washed Process
Part of Mr. Espresso’s limited-edition Collezione di Caffè, this washed micro-lot comes from West Java’s Cipaganti Village. Collected directly from small farmers, coffee varietals include Catimor, Tim Tim, Typica, and Gayo II. The Mr. Espresso sourcing team was exceptionally impressed by this coffee’s vibrancy, showcased by the region’s traditional processing method. Java Gunung Tikukur offers a complex cup, with flavors such as peach, toasted almond, and basil.
Equator Coffees—Panama Finca Sophia Guayabita Natural
This year, we are proud to present a very limited release of Panama Finca Sophia Guayabita Natural: sweet and fruity with notes of orange blossom, dried apricot and brioche. Fewer than 50 bags are left; order this very special coffee before it’s gone! Sold as 6oz bags of whole bean coffee; limit 3 per customer.
THE BARN—Doi Saket
We are excited to share coffee from Doi Saket for the second season, grown in the beautiful Chiang Mai region of Thailand. With an embrace of modern specialty methods, producers Nui and Aoy Jaisooksern are taking Thai coffee to inspiring new places. This Anaerobic lot is a delicious addition to our portfolio, with complex character that is uniquely Thai. Expect notes of rhubarb, stone fruit, and white chocolate.
Stumptown Coffee Roasters —Papua New Guinea Besser
In Papua New Guinea’s Eastern Highlands, coffee producer Sero Bebes has cultivated more than coffee – he’s built a legacy. A testament to his dedication of producing the very best, this exceptional coffee blends sweet notes of fresh honeycrisp apple, toffee structure, and lingering red currant finish.
Klatch Coffee—Hacienda La Esmeralda Gesha Duo
This February, Klatch Coffee is proudly introducing the Esmeralda Gesha Duo, a curated set of two 85-gram bags featuring Anaerobic Natural and Natural processed Geisha coffees from Hacienda La Esmeralda. This special Duo is only offered in a single roast on Monday, February 17th.
Partners Coffee—Suke Quto Secret Process
This tiny lot comes to us from Suke Quto, our longest running farm relationship in Ethiopia. Tesfaye Bekele has been a champion of sustainable agroforestry in Guji, growing coffee under native forest spared from wildfires. For years we’ve heard rumors of a Suke Quto “secret process,” seemingly an adaptation of natural processing. Now available to us for the first time, we’re tasting flavors of wild cherry and concord grape, white peach, pineapple candy, passionfruit, and root beer.
Night Swim Coffee—Guiben – Natural
We’re excited to welcome back some of our favorite coffees from 2024 as part of our ongoing effort to highlight underrepresented coffee regions in our world. Say hello once again to Kaku and Guiben—two exceptional washed and natural coffees from the Yunnan Coffee Project in Yunnan, China. The work being done by the Yunnan Coffee Project is nothing short of inspiring. Guiben, a naturally processed coffee, bursts with candy-like fruit notes and has a wonderfully syrupy, sweet body. This year, Guiben is tasting even sweeter, fruitier, and more shareable than ever. We invite you to experience the distinct flavors of this remarkable coffee-growing region! We’re Tasting: Pink Lemonade, Strawberry Candy, Chocolate Malt
Madcap Coffee—Nelson Moreno
Nelson Moreno inherited his first piece of land, 3 acres at about 1600 meters, from his father Orlando when he was only 16. In the Santa Barbara region, the surname Moreno and quality go hand-in-hand. Generations of Morenos’ work together harvesting each other’s coffee, as well as processing all of their lots together. Their collective effort is what sets the Moreno’s level of quality apart from the rest, and they have the Cup of Excellence awards to prove it. Specialty coffee enthusiasts recognize Santa Barbara, Honduras, as one of the most unique coffee micro-terroirs in all of Central America. This Pacas variety is processed anaerobically, or without oxygen. This innovative processing technique results in a vibrant and expressive cup, with notes of honeydew, lychee, and hibiscus.
Verve Coffee Roasters—Gura AA
Juicy, jammy and expressive, this year’s AA lot from Gura is nothing short of delicious. Tropical guava notes greet your palate with the first sip, followed by a sweet strawberry and fudge finish.
Passenger Coffee—Ethiopia AGARO
Remarkably complex and subtle, our current Agaro lot is soft and nuanced with vanilla and bergamot aromatics. In the cup one finds citrus, apricot, and a juicy melon character in the finish.
Portland Coffee Roasters—Bridge Blend
The Ethiopia component comes from Mustefa Abakeno – a smallholder producer growing coffee varieties from the nearby Jimma Research Center. This coffee is from the Beshasha mill, which specializes in washed processing utilizing good agricultural practices (GAP). The other half of Bridge Blend is from Peru. This particular coffee is from the umbrella Norandino cooperative – who ensure meticulous traceability and quality control throughout post-harvest processing. It is fully washed and dried in the sun – preserving natural tasting notes of green grapes and apple blossoms.
La Barba Coffee—Guatemala | La Senda Arnoldo & Eugenia
This delightfully sweet anaerobic natural from José Arnoldo Perez & Maria Eugenia Escobar is full of tropical fruit notes along with delicate florals and subtle stone fruit (nectarine). The sweetness of this coffee persists from when it’s hot through as it cools, making you want a refill as soon as you finish the cup.
Floral – Passionfruit – Nectarine
PERC—Kenya Ndaro-ini
We’re super excited to bring in another stunner from Kenya. This coffee blew us away on the cupping table. It starts with a juicy punch of green apple and transitions to flavors of warm baking spice. It finishes with a sweet brown sugar note that will have you coming back for more before you put down that empty cup. Don’t miss out on this super tasty coffee, y’all.
Sightglass Coffee—Winter Solstice
Returning for the fifth year, we’re excited to release something exceptional for the holiday season: our Winter Solstice Blend. Named for the longest night and shortest day of the year, Winter Solstice is the perfect accompaniment to cool weather and changing seasons. A time when we crave comfort, warmth, the familiar, and the surprising. For Winter Solstice, we combine two amazing coffees from Kenya and Colombia to evoke flavors of chocolate truffle, marzipan, and blackberry.
Onyx Coffee Lab—Colombia Tio Conejo Gesha Natural
In the high mountains of Caldas, Colombia, Tío Conejo cultivates coffee with a commitment to tradition, community, and resilience. Nestled at 2,000 MASL on rich volcanic soil, their farm’s high altitude and meticulous practices yield exceptional quality. That quality shows in the cup with pungent fruit characteristics throughout the drinking experience, culminating in pink guava and watermelon candy.
Joe Coffee —Rubí Sisters Catuaí
Perched between the Sierra La Esperanza and Santa Bárbara mountains in Las Vegas, Honduras, lies Finca Ruland 2—a specialty coffee farm as beautiful as it is biodiverse, owned and operated by the Rubí-Landaverde family. Notes of Candied Lemon, Almond Paste, Cinnamon.
Pachamama Coffee Farmers—Guatemala
Grown on the volcanic shores of Lago Atitlán, this is an exceptional single origin medium roast coffee from the Manos Campesinas coop in Guatemala.
Olympia Coffee—Alexander Vargas Pink Bourbon
Alexander Vargas is a Cup of Excellence-winning producer for his Pink Bourbon varietal. He continues to innovate in processing and drying, making his coffees an absolute delight for us to roast. The variety is native to Colombia, specifically Huila, with the name inspired by the cherry ripening with a pinkish hue.
CXFFEEBLACK—Fruit Of Our Labor
A HIGA JUNT -NATURAL RWANDA KILIMBI STATION, 1650-1850 MASL
TASTING NOTES: Strawberry, Dark Chocolate, and Passionfruit
New job listings from Sprudge Jobs
Olympia Coffee - Creative Director, eCommerce - Olympia, WA
Olympia Coffee - Media Marketing Coordinator - Olympia, WA
World’s End Coffee Co - Coffee Shop Manager - Eagles Mare, PA
Do you have a news tip? Feedback? A funny joke? Send us an e-mail, use the contact form on Sprudge, leave a message at 1-888-55-SPRUDGE, or send us a letter at P.O. Box 3943 Portland, OR 97218.